Choosing A Path
by EdithFinch
Summary: What if Canary Wharf, Martha, and Donna never happened? Rose and the Doctor get married, and one day, they receive a distress call from the Library. River Song has called them there, but when she meets Rose, she realizes that reality has made a mistake. When two paths that were never meant to cross end up intersecting, one must be eliminated. But will it be River... or Rose?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, guys! I've been toying with this idea for a bit, so I hope you all like it! Also, I am looking for a beta-reader for this story, so if you're interested, message me! Enjoy!**

**Also, a very special thanks to my Dad back at home, who came up with the title.**

* * *

Rose paced her old room in the TARDIS, overcome with anxiety. How would she tell him? They both knew they couldn't have children, they had always known. And yet, here Rose was, walking back and forth in her room, with a positive pregnancy test in her hand.

"What am I gonna do?" She muttered to herself. As if on cue, the TARDIS sent a soothing hum towards her, relaxing her a bit, so she could figure everything out. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked to the door. She would just have to tell him. That was all she could do, tell him and hope he took it well. Thinking positive thoughts, she slowly opened the door and stepped out.

"Ugh… I can't do this." Rose turned around and quickly walked back in. The TARDIS gave her a mental shove towards the door. "No, you're right. I faced the Dalek emperor, I can tell my own husband that I'm pregnant."

She smiled to herself. It was the first time she had actually said it out loud. Moving quickly while she was motivated, she made her way to the library, where she knew the Doctor would be having his nightly tea, while he read another Charles Dickens story. She stopped at the library doors when she realized that she was still holding the pregnancy test. Within seconds, a garbage chute was formed in the wall, and Rose tossed the test down. "Thank you," she whispered.

With a burst of confidence, she threw open the elaborately decorated doors and made her way to the Doctor's favorite reading spot. It was a little corner in the far end of the library, with two huge cushy chairs, and shelves holding his favorite authors: Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, and the writers of other classics. He even had two large shelves dedicated to Dr. Seuss, and he would always brag about meeting him, and being the one to convince him to use that pen name.

She pushed her way through piles of books until she reached him. He was sitting cross legged, glasses perched on his nose, and his hair sticking every which way. She sat herself down in the chair across from him, and he lifted his head at the movement and smiled. His lovely wife.

"Hello, love," he murmured softly.

"Hello," she replied, a smile creeping onto her face. The Doctor sensed her impatience and asked, "What is it?"

"I have some news…"

"News? What news?" He looked at her with growing anticipation. Rose was silent for a moment.

"Doctor, I'm pregnant."

His face went blank, and he looked at her with dark eyes. She began to panic, he clearly wasn't taking it well. Before she could say anything else, he jumped up, picked her up bridal style, and began to carry her out of the library.

"Doctor, what are you doing?"

He didn't reply, simply kept walking at a brisk pace towards what Rose knew was going to be the Medical Bay.

The Doctor ran into the large white room, and laid Rose down on one of the grey beds. He began to go around the room, collecting all kinds of alien scanning devices, as well as a few that Rose recognized from Earth. He hooked them all up to Rose, not even looking at his wife's face while he did so.

Rose stared at the ceiling while her husband hooked up the alien technology to her. This was not going well. She tried hard to stay calm, but she couldn't help but let a tear fall down her cheek. The Doctor chose that moment to look down at her.

"Oh, please don't cry, Rose. Please don't cry." His face softened as he said this, and he hastily wiped her tears away with his thumb. She sniffled, but didn't say anything, and kept her eyes locked on the ceiling.

"I just… This isn't possible, Rose. You know it's not." At this, she snapped her gaze towards him.

"But the test said-"

"Test? What test?"

Rose was silent, and the Doctor didn't want to push her, so he continued connecting the scanners to her. After a few moments of running around her, looking at different screens, and typing in different codes, he let out a shaky breath.

"Oh, Rassilon."

"What?"

"Rose, you _are _pregnant. Look, that's our…" He couldn't finish the sentence, just turned one of the many screens toward her. It was one from Earth, a normal ultrasound machine. Rose looked at it, to see a tiny little form, barely recognizable with the crude technology of her time. She smiled again, happy tears running down her cheeks. She looked up at the Doctor, who had a hint of a smile on his face. He stared back at her, before leaning down and kissing her deeply. When Rose began to feel a need for air, she gently pushed him off of herself and began to move off of the plain bed.

"Nope, you need to stay here, love," the Doctor told her, carefully pushing her back onto the bed. She looked at him, confused.

"Why? You already ran the tests."

"I need to run a few more…" He replied, his attention back on the scanners. He was typing furiously on one of them, searching for how Rose had become pregnant.

"No, no that can't be." He moved to another scanner, with the same results. Another, the same thing. His eyes began to water and a silent tear escaped. Rose, having never seen her husband cry before, was extremely worried.

"Doctor, what is it? Doctor you need to tell me what's wrong."

Without answering, he ran to the back of the room, and began searching through drawers. He slammed them open and closed until he found what he was looking for. A stethoscope.

He steered himself back to the bed Rose was laying on, and placed the end over the left side of Rose's chest. Her heart rate was normal, and he removed the instrument. Hesitating for a moment, he put the stethoscope on the right side of Rose's chest. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the steady beating of a second heart.

"Doctor, why've you got the stethoscope there? Will you _please _tell me what the bloody hell is going on?"

Again, he said nothing. Instead, he laid his head on her chest and slowly breathed out. He listened to her hearts beating like they were his favorite song that he hadn't heard in years. "I'm not alone," he managed.

"Well, obviously, you muppet. I'm right here."

"No, Rose. _I'm not alone._"

"Uh… Doctor, you're starting to freak me out. What are you even going on about?"

"Rose, what's 5,672 times 8,942?"

"50,719,024." She replied without hesitation. "Blimey, how did I know that?"

"And if I wanted to fix the Chameleon Circuit- which I don't by the way, I love a good police box –what would I do?"

The answer was running through Rose's head, but that scared her half to death, so she remained silent.

"Rose…" The Doctor pushed.

"First, you would reverse the Binary flux system, then go to the little red box under the console and rewire the Holophasics. After that, you would have to fix the dimensional scanner, which might actually take some effort. Finally, you would go to the console, go to the red switch- you know the one, it's labeled 'CC' –and flip it to the 'on' position."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before breaking into a huge smile, grinning ear to ear like the daft old alien Rose knew he was.

"Doctor, how do I know all this stuff?"

"Rose, you're Gallifreyan. You're a proper Time Lord, or Lady, rather."

"No, I'm human. Born on Earth, raised by my mum, didn't even take my A-levels. I'm human."

"But, you're not! You should be, but you're not. I don't know how, but…" Before he could finish, he felt the TARDIS laughing in his head. '_Oh, you clever girl,' _he thought.

"Rose, do you remember when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS, into time itself?" Rose laughed.

"Yeah, every minute of it. That was one monstrous headache I got."

"I know why now. Besides the fact that you had the vortex running through your head…" He trailed off and stared blankly at the white walls.

"Anyways!" His wife snapped him back to attention.

"Right! Anyways, the TARDIS likes you a lot, I guess, because she _changed _you. Changed you so that you could deal with everything that was going through your mind. She gave you one hell of a makeover, mentally and physically. She turned you into a Time Lord."

Rose was shocked into silence. She couldn't believe it. Her, a genetically and intellectually superior being… It was almost laughable. But the Doctor didn't seem to find it funny at all. He looked as though he was about to burst with joy. He scooped Rose up into a huge hug, and buried his face in her hair.

"We'll really have forever now," Rose sighed. The Doctor laughed.

"Yeah, I guess we will."

Rose was silent for a moment before asking, "Hang on, will I be able to regenerate?"

"Uh… I don't know. I think so, but I'd prefer not to find out."

"Yeah, I'm with you there," she laughed nervously. "This is really weird for me." She added honestly.

"Me too. I just… I never thought I would ever see another living Time Lord, or Lady."

"Hi," she said with a little wave, "my name's Rose and I'm a Time Lord." Her husband chuckled.

"Yes. Yes you are," he replied, before leaning in and kissing her fervently.

* * *

River Song shifted in her bed, unable to sleep. Again. She hadn't had a real night's sleep in weeks. She turned to look at the wall of her cell, sighing as dramatically as she could, in hopes to get a night guard's attention. Nights like this, she wanted to go on an adventure. Her feet had just been itching to run, to screw with things that she shouldn't. It was the cause of her sleeplessness.

A guard approached the cell door and looked in at River, who turned her head to look at him. She sighed softly to herself, she liked this one because he was always so nice to her. It was too bad he would be fired or demoted after she tricked him into letting her get out.

"Can't sleep?" The guard asked softly.

"No, haven't been able to for a while." At this, the guard mumbled an apology and began to walk away.

"Wait, sweetie!" River called out, not wanting to miss her chance. He appeared at the door again.

"Yes?"

"Don't night guards always carry those sleeping pills for the prisoners?"

"What sleeping pills?" He countered, eyes slightly wider at the fact that River was now standing inches from his face.

"Hmm…" She appeared to be thinking for a moment. "Or maybe it's a spray. I have the spray."

The guard looked at her, puzzled, before River pulled out a can of sleeping spray and sprayed him with it. Within seconds, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell over. She blew him a kiss and tucked the sleeping spray back into her pillow case. He would wake up not remembering anything, a fantastic side effect from the spray.

"Where to go, where to go…?" She sang to herself as she reached through the cell to grab the keys off of the sleeping guard. She quickly unlocked the door and walked out, taking a deep breath of stale prison air. River coughed and leaned over the guard, searching through his pockets before she found it: a vortex manipulator. All the guards had them these days, to be able to get around the prison faster. She would've used her own, but they took it from her after her last escapade. Sighing again to herself, she decided that she would just have to keep his.

Slipping it on, she decided on her destination: New York, in the 1930's. The height of glamour… and flirtatiousness. "I'll fit in perfectly," she murmured to the unconscious man on the ground. Punching in the date and place, she couldn't help but have a huge grin on her face. Something kept telling her that she needed to go on more and more adventures, and she didn't know why, but happily obliged.

Professor Song hit the button to take her to her destination, and her last thought before she left Stormcage was that perhaps she would run into her gorgeous husband on this trip. She loved him so much, but feared that her time with him was running out. Her wonderful time with the Doctor.

* * *

**Thanks for reading loves! If you didn't get it already, River is about to go to NEW YORK IN THE THIRTIES. As in, when Amy and Rory die... Haha, I'm just evil like that. Please review if you enjoyed it, or if you hated it! Again, I am looking for a beta! Thanks again, sweetie...**

**-Edith**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I just want to say thanks again for reading and reviewing, and just for being fantastic. Also, (because I forgot) just the general DISCLAIMER: I don't own Doctor Who. In this chapter, also, I used some lines from one of the episodes, so all rights go to the respective writers of Doctor Who.**

**Lastly, I'd like to thank my BRILLIANT beta Charlie (oldbutnew-newbutold) for making this story readable.  
Now, enjoy, loves!**

* * *

Rose sighed happily. She was laying against her husband's chest, listening to his hearts beating. Her life was so perfect, she didn't know how she could be so lucky. They were both still, just enjoying each other's company and the silence of their beautiful bedroom.

It was almost an exact replica of the Doctor's home world: Gallifrey. You could lay back and stare at the sunset orange sky, and in the 'distance,' you could see the Citadel in its glass dome. If you turned from there, the mountains of Solace and Solitude could be seen swaying behind their bed. Their bed was silver, an imitation of the silver forests. The floor was made of red grass, as close to the real thing as the TARDIS could make it. The room was created shortly after the Doctor came out of the war, as a way to comfort him. Rose had moved in shortly before they decided to get married, and she had added her own touch: pink roses. They now grew on the bed posts.

The couple could often be found here if they weren't on an adventure or in their library. The Doctor liked to be under the burnt orange sky, and Rose liked to be with the Doctor.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you love me?" He turned to look at her deeply. "I mean, honestly Rose. I am a damaged, deranged old man, and yet you chose to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Doctor," Rose began, "you cannot begin to understand. You are damaged, and yet instead of fixing yourself, you want to help fix others. You may be deranged, but some of the best people are…"

"You got that from Alice in Wonderland," he accused. Rose laughed and flashed him her tongue-in-teeth smile, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"And lastly, Doctor, because… I don't know. I just know that I love you."

"I love you so much, Rose Tyler."

"I know, you daft old alien. And don't forget, I'm going to be a very old woman as well." This time it was the Doctor's turn to laugh.

"Yes, yes you will be."

Before anything else could be said, Rose's stomach growled loudly. They looked at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Let's get you something to eat, love." The Doctor said, before picking her up and running her to the kitchen.

He set her down in a chair and went to the cupboards, searching for decent food.

"Watch out, Doctor, I might get used to being carried around like that." He turned and smiled at her before asking, "What sounds good to you? Chips?"

"Hmm… Fish fingers." Rose said thoughtfully.

"Fish fingers it is." The Doctor announced with a smile. He grabbed them out of the very large freezer, laid them on a pan and popped them into the oven. Within a minute, there was a _ding!_, and the Doctor pulled them out. One of the many benefits of living in a highly advanced time travelling machine: it cooks things faster. Rose grabbed a fish finger right off the pan and popped it in her mouth. She chewed before pulling a disgusted face.

"What, what is it? Are they overcooked?" Her husband asked, a worried expression on his face.

"No, it's just missing something…"

"TARDIS sauce?" He asked with a smile, and Rose giggled.

"No, not tarter sauce…" She took a bite of another. "Oh! Custard!"

"Custard." He looked at her, clearly amused.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?

"No, no, not at all." He said smoothly, not wanting to anger a pregnant woman. "Custard coming right up!"

"Good." Rose smiled at him again.

Not knowing how to make custard, the Doctor sent a quick thought to the TARDIS. _Please help me out here. _He felt a familiar tingle in the back of his brain, so he reached into the fridge, and pulled out a large bowl of custard.

"Here we are, best custard in the galaxy."

Rose greedily grabbed the bowl and started dipping her fish in it. The Doctor watched, slightly disgusted. His wife saw the look on his face, and so she grabbed a piece of the fish, dipped it in the custard, then held it out in front of him.

"No, I'm not eating that."

"C'mon. It's not that bad."

"Fine. If it will make you happy." He snatched the fish from her and popped it in his mouth. He chewed for a few moments before running to the sink and spitting it out. "That was the most disgusting thing I have _ever _had the misfortune of tasting. And that is saying something since I often lick things."

Rose just shrugged her shoulders at this. When she finished the fish, there was still some custard left, so she lifted the bowl to her lips and started chugging it. Once finished, she slammed the bowl back on the table and licked her lips. The Doctor looked at her, appalled.

"Kiss me," she murmured.

"No way. You will taste like that disgusting food."

"Oi! I am your wife! Now kiss-" She stopped abruptly, and placed her hand on her stomach. Rose had felt something, she was sure of it. Very small, but a movement from inside her. The Doctor looked down towards her stomach, a shocked expression on his face.

"Not this early, it can't have…" He trailed off.

"Doctor, he moved. I felt it. He was kicking."

"Rose, not this early. You were probably just imagining it. And, 'he?'"

"Yeah, I don't know. I guess I just feel like it's gonna be a boy."

"Nah… I bet it's going to be a girl. A beautiful girl, just like her mother."

"You are such an arse-kisser, Doctor."

"Well, you've done some too. Shall I remind you of our trip to Jergafrellia?"

"When did we go there?" Rose looked confused.

"Remember? I took you there to see the singing flowers, and all you wanted to do was go to the Lunar Beaches in Quadrant 564-89.B?"

"No, I don't remember, are you sure that was me?"

"Yes, Rose. That was you… We had a bit of a frisky night?" He gave her a wink in an attempt to not look worried, but the panic could be heard in his voice.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Rose said, not wanting the Doctor to freak out. "How could I ever forget that? Silly me. Still have a human memory I guess."

"Yeah, I guess."

The Doctor still looked at her with worry in his eyes, but didn't mind changing the subject. Rose however, couldn't stop thinking about it. She didn't remember anything about going to Jergafrellia. She had heard of it, but she could swear she had never been there. Her husband had been so convinced though…

* * *

River opened her tear-stained eyes to stare at her cell wall. What a mistake her last 'adventure' had been. But how would things have changed if she hadn't been there? Would it all still happen? Would her parents still be alive? She couldn't help but beat herself up over it all. She went over her mother's last moments in her head:

_"What the hell are you doing?" Her husband had screamed._

_"Changing the future," she had replied calmly. "It's called marriage."_

And then she and her father had jumped off the roof of Winter Quay. She had watched as her parents fell, seemingly for hours. Her husband screaming next to her, his voice filled with panic. She had turned at the sound of a spark, hope rising in her chest as the paradox started. And then it all fell apart again.

_"Melody!" Her mother had called to her, and she calmly approached and took her hand. "You look after him. You be a good girl, and you look after him."_

_"You are creating fixed time," the Doctor tried desperately to change her mind. "I will never be able to see you again!"_

_"I'll be fine," she argued. "I'll be with him."_

_"Amy. Please. Just come back to the TARDIS. Come along, Pond. Please." He was in tears now, slowly crumbling._

_"Raggedy Man," she said strongly, despite her tears. She turned towards him. "Goodbye."_

Then she was gone, and her name had appeared on the gravestone. The Doctor had fallen to his knees, sobbing. All she could do was watch the angel. She needed to let the Doctor have his moment of anguish. When he had calmed down a bit, she had pulled him back to the TARDIS, her eyes not leaving the statue until the doors were closed behind them. After a few minutes of silence, the Doctor had apologized for not realizing that she had lost her parents.

_"River, they were your parents. Sorry. I didn't even think." He looked up at her sadly._

_"It doesn't matter."_

But it did matter. _So _much. But she needed to stay strong for him. She couldn't let him see her wounds, no matter how much they hurt. When she was suffering, she just had to pretend. Pretend that everything was alright, because the Doctor needed a hand to hold.

And she didn't just do it for him. Or for herself. She did it to protect everything. The whole of creation. All of time. The Doctor was powerful, incredibly powerful. He was also unstable. If he fell apart, everything else would crumble too. He used his pain to fix things, but if it became too much, he would become the destroyer of worlds. At one point, there can be so much hate in one's heart that it simply turns to emptiness. River feared that the Doctor would soon reach this point, and would turn to destruction to fill the gap in his soul.

She stared at the bleak, grey walls as tears raced down her cheeks. Her parents would never see her again, and she might never see them again, and that broke her heart more than she thought it would. River had never really known them, she grew up without them, after all. But all she could do once the Doctor dropped her off at Stormcage was cry. Cry because they were lost. Cry because she couldn't save them. Cry because she couldn't give her mother a proper goodbye, and didn't get to say any last words to her father at all. The only hope she had was that she might see them again before they were trapped. But it would be hard, knowing they were going to their deaths. She would have to pretend for them, too.

Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and made her way to her desk. She pulled out her little TARDIS blue book and pen, and began writing.

_Dear Diary,_

_I just watched my parents die. And it hurts so much. Even more so than when I thought I had killed my husband. Why did I have to choose the thirties? Why did I have to be there to witne_

She stopped when she heard footsteps, and threw the book and pen in a drawer, closing it quickly. She couldn't risk them taking it away. The guard approached the cell, a phone in hand.

"Dr. River Song?"

"Yes?" She asked, in the sweetest voice she could manage.

"You've got a call." He replied, holding the phone through the bars. She tentatively took it from him and asked, "Who is it?"

He shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Sighing, River put the phone up to her ear. She really was in no mood to have any little chat.

"Professor River Song. May I ask who I'm speaking to?"

"Yes, this is Strackman Lux."

"Exactly how urgent is this Mr. Lux? I'm in no mood to talk right now."

"I was wondering if you would like to be the head archeologist for a rather large expedition I'm funding."

"To where?" She asked, her gloom beginning to fade, and her excitement building.

"The biggest library in the universe."

* * *

**Haha! Did I reopen some wounds there? I found myself crying as re-watched Amy and Rory's last moments. That's right people, I watched it for you. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and continue to enjoy the story overall! And don't forget to review!**

**-Edith**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, lovelies! Sorry it's been so long, I've been stuck in a rut... Another big thanks to my beta, Charlie (oldbutnew-newbutold). She's lovely!**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

_Crank. Crank. Crank. _The Doctor moved his wrench to the sound of the music. It was some annoying pop song from Earth that Rose had put on. He could hear her dancing, her feet pounding on the floor. The song wasn't even very good, and the lyrics were _clearly _written by some lovesick teenager.

_Do you ever think  
When you're all alone  
All that we could be?  
Where this thing could go?  
Am I crazy or falling in love?  
Is it real or just another crush?  
Do you catch a breath  
When I look at you?  
Are you holding back  
Like the way I do?  
'Cause I'm trying, trying to wa-_

The song stopped abruptly as the Doctor sent an irritated thought to his ship. Sighing gratefully as silence filled the console room, he continued his repairs.

"Oi! I was listening to that!"

"I'm sorry, love, but you have awful taste in music."

"What do you mean I have awful taste in music?" She was starting to sound more angry than irritated.

"I just mean," the Doctor started, pulling himself out from under the controls, "that there is much better music in the universe to listen to."

"Hmm? I'm sure there is, but I like... Uh, what's his name?" She looked confused for a moment, then scowled. "Never mind that. What exactly do you have in mind?" Her hands were fixed on her hips.

"Something like this, maybe?" On cue, _Strangers in the Night_ started playing softly. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hands and started to sway to the music. Unable to stay angry, Rose pressed herself up closer to him and swayed. Pretty soon, they were full on dancing around the console room, laughing whenever they bumped into something.

"The world doesn't end if the Doctor dances," Rose said with a grin. The Doctor chuckled.

"Well, one time, it almost did."

"_I'm loving the almost_."

The Doctor felt a cold shiver go down his spine, and his brain tingled. He abruptly stopped dancing as the face of a woman passed through his mind. Older, with an attractive face surrounded by a full head of blonde curls. As quickly as it appeared, the image began to fade. The Doctor fought hard to store the picture in his vast mind, and he won.

He opened his eyes to see Rose looking worriedly at him. He gave her a weak smile before collapsing against the console. She quickly wrapped an arm around him and began to tow him to the Med Bay.

"No, love. I'm fine."

"Obviously not. What the hell was that, Doctor?" She continued to pull him out of the room.

"I… I don't know. Some kind of déjà vu, or something…"

"Déjà vu my arse. We need to take some scans. Make sure your brain is functioning properly, that you aren't ill, that you aren't being possessed by some fucking alien who wants to destroy us all and then take our baby prisoner and-"

"Rose, calm down. You are _way _overreacting." The Doctor wriggled out of her grip to face her. "Seriously, love."

"No, you fucking calm down, you stupid fucking alien! I am trying to-"

"Actually, technically speaking, I'm not an alien to you anymore…" He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. God, Rose loved that hair.

"I'm trying to protect-"

"Our baby." He finished for her. She sighed, a mixture of frustration and understanding. The Doctor slowly walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. She hesitantly wrapped hers around him. "And I love you for that, Rose Tyler. I love you for all that you are and all that you do. So much so," he paused and grinned, "that I went domestic."

She looked up at him. "Marriage is not equal to domesticity, Doctor. We still live in a box that is bigger on the inside and can travel through time and space."

"It was a pretty domestic wedding, though."

"Getting married on another planet does not even come _close _to domestic."

"Jackie was there, she domesticates _everything._" Rose laughed at this.

"Watch it, that's my mum you're talking about. And I'm beginning to hate that word."

"You're right. A better word would be 'beautiful.' We had a beautiful wedding, and don't tell the groom, but I think the bride was stunning."

Rose tilted her head back and laughed as she thought of the wedding. It really was beautiful. It had taken place on a lush, but uninhabited planet somewhere in the Retyhian System. All the guests had to travel there by TARDIS, but that was only a small drawback.

The ceremony area was in a small clearing in the dense forest, simple chairs set up for the minimal guests, and a small walkway covered in petals of a gorgeous flower native to the planet. The alter was an artistic masterpiece though. It was made of gold, and looked like vines growing up from the ground on both sides, twisting together at the top. Small rose like figures sprouted out here and there.

The Doctor had stood there nervously with Captain Jack Harkness, who they had asked to officiate the wedding.

The real jaw-dropper, though, was Rose.

She had worn a long white dress that had flowed gracefully in the wind, and gave her great body the attention it deserved. Her hair was put up in a tasteful updo, and her bangs were curled gently on both sides of her face. She wore natural makeup, and the Doctor looked at her as though she were a goddess. The ceremony had gone perfectly according to plan, except for Captain Jack dropping a bit more than a few sexual innuendos. He had even attempted to flirt with Mickey, Jackie, and two couples at the reception. It was a bit annoying, having to tell him to shut up and keep his hands to himself, but it remained the best day of the Doctor and Rose's lives.

As the memory faded back into the recesses of her mind, Rose leaned her head on her husband's chest, and thought about what he had said before their conversation had changed.

_"I… I don't know… Some kind of déjà vu or something…"_

The Doctor didn't have déjà vu though. It simply didn't happen, with him being a Time Lord. He could see time and time lines, but he simply saw the past and future when he looked at someone. Something was wrong, they both knew it, but they just couldn't put their fingers on it.

* * *

"Professor River Song!" A young, timid voice called.

"Yes, Miss Evangelista?" River turned and looked at the pretty girl, an annoyed expression on her face.

"I know we've only just taken off, but you need to sign a Personal Experience contract agreeing that your individual experience inside the Library is the… Uh, intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

"Sweetie, let me tell you something," River started, putting her arm around the girl. "I don't sign contracts. I do whatever the hell I want."

"But Professor-"

"Here, let me see that," she said, motioning to the paper in Miss Evangelista's hands. She gave it to her, and River proceeded to fold into as small a square as possible, then tossed it down a garbage chute. "Like I said, I do whatever the hell I want."

Miss Evangelista simply looked at her, shocked.

"Now, Miss Evangelista. Is that your first name or your surname?"

"Uh, it's my last name? My first name is Angela," she added with a smile.

"Angela Evangelista. Interesting. Anyways, you can go tell Mr. Lux that I will _not _be signing any 'Personal Experience contract.' You can also tell him that he will be okay with this, because _I _am the one leading this expedition, not him. He is only funding it."

She let go of Angela and walked towards her small study that had been provided for her, thanks to Mr. Lux. She closed the door behind her and turned around in the small, white space. Her desk was littered with papers and artifacts from the Library, as well as a small device that contained the message, "4022 saved. No survivors."

It had puzzled everyone to no end, it was the whole point of the expedition: to find out exactly what happened that day, almost 100 years prior. River sat down and began to shuffle through the papers. Most were taken from the actual library, but a precious few were about the big event. There were many different names for what had happened: The Disappearance of the 4022, The Falling of the Library, and funnily enough, The Silence.

River had always found that particular name frightening. She had dealt with the Silence both as a child and an adult, and they scared her to death both times. They had revolved around her, and she hoped that they were not coming for her again. Every time, she lost someone… Or thought she had.

She shrugged off the thought and reached for the sonic screwdriver that was sitting on her desk. It was the Doctor's, he had given it to her after their last adventure.

_"Here." He held the screwdriver in front of her, not meeting her eyes. "You need it more than I do."_

She smiled at the thought. Although his word choice seemed a bit odd, she did appreciate the act of trust he had shown her by giving it to her.

The archeologist closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, content for the moment. Then she heard muffled shouting outside her door.

"What do you mean she didn't…" A male voice.

"I just… Sorry… She said she… The hell… Wants." A quieter voice. Miss Evangelista.

She could only hear snippets, but she knew what was going on. She walked to the door and swung it open right as Mr. Lux had reached for the door latch.

"Can I help you, Mr. Lux?" River asked with a smile, then winked at Angela, who was cowering behind him. His face was red with anger.

"You have to sign the Personal Experience contract!" He exclaimed, waving the papers in front of her face. "My family built the Library, I have rights!"

River simply smiled at him, a very cheeky smile. "Sweetie, I don't give a _shit _about your so-called 'rights.' Now, leave it, or you'll find yourself without an archeologist."

Strackman Lux sputtered for an answer, but an alarm began blaring, calling River to the cockpit.

"I have to go," she said. "Mr. Lux, head to your sleeping pod. Angela, with me."

"Why?" He asked, already being ushered there by River.

"Because, sweetie," she began, shoving him in and programming it to open in 8 hours, "You're being a royal pain in the arse."

Before he could respond, she shoved the door shut, and started walking towards the back of the ship.

"I thought Proper Dave needed you in the front," Angela pointed out, confused.

"Oh no, honey. That's just the dinner bell. Why don't you go wash up in the bathroom real quick?"

Angela nodded and quickly scurried off. With everyone out of her way, she went back to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. She sat at her desk and began to concentrate. She needed to contact the Doctor, knowing she very well might need his help. Focusing her mind, she sent a message to the psychic paper:

_The Library_

_Come as soon as you can_

She finished it with a kiss, so he would know who it was. That man received so many cries for help on his psychic paper, it was ridiculous. You would think some species could handle themselves, but oh no, they were all constantly crying for aid, for someone, anyone to help them.

It was a depressing thought, so River was grateful when an alarm began to blare again.

"Now that is _not _a dinner bell," she muttered, running to the front.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked the pilot, Proper Dave.

"An escape pod just launched, we've no idea why."

"Well is anyone on it?" Anita asked, appearing behind River.

"I don't know!" He answered, pressing an intercom button. "Escape Pod R76T4-0, report to Main Ship."

"Uh, hello?" Miss Evangelista's voice came over the intercom. "I think I'm in the escape pod… Ooh, I see the ship! It's so big! Wow! I'm waving at you guys, can you see me?"

Proper Dave let go of the intercom button as he and Anita burst out laughing. Even River was fighting back a snicker.

"We have to go back for her," River said, trying her best to sound serious.

"But… She seems… So happy!" Anita said between giggles.

"Dave, turn it around."

"Yes, ma'am!" Dave said, still in fits.

River sighed and ran a hand over her face. Being stuck on a ship with this lot, she could already tell that she had her work cut out for her. They could not get to the library fast enough.

"Don't worry, Miss Evangelista, we're coming back for you," River said over the intercom.

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I… I thought this was the restroom."

"It's okay, we're coming." Turning to Dave and Anita, she said, "Take care of it. I'm going back to my study."

She exited the cockpit, and began walking to her room, smiling at Mr. Lux as she passed his sleeping pod. He was yelling at her, trying to get out, but she couldn't hear him. One of the joys of the sleeping pods: blocks out snores. _Oh well, _she thought. _At least I'll have a bit of fun…_

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**Thanks for reading! I'm trying to make it somewhat similar to the episode, but obviously it's not going to be ****_that _****similar. Also, I love River, but ****_damn... _****Rose is a protective mum! Yay! Keep reading, sweeties!**

**-Edith**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... that it's been so long! I've been super busy (I'm leaving to go camping tomorrow). Anyways, ****_55 FOLLOWERS! _****Holy smoke, thanks you guys! I don't know if that's a lot for you guys, but that's a lot for me! Thanks loves!**

**Also: this chapter is not beta-ed. Totally my fault though, guys. So another big thanks to Charlie, just for being a sweetie and for being there! **

**DISCLAIMER: I forgot to mention, the lyrics used in the previous chapter are from the song 'Crush' by David Archuleta, so rights go to respective writers! And for the rest of this story, some stuff is obviously going to be the same as the episodes 'Silence in the Library' and 'Forest of the Dead' so again, rights go to respective writers.**

**Anyways, PLEASE review! I don't care if you've already reviewed, I just like hearing all your opinions! Thanks and enjoy!**

* * *

"Books! People never really stop loving books," the Doctor explained to Rose as he grabbed his coat off the jumpseat. She reached for his hand as they walked through the TARDIS door, and he smiled as he intertwined their fingers. They looked around at the large hall they had landed in.

"Wait, let me guess this one," Rose said before the Doctor could announce what time they were in. "Umm… Is it…" She sniffed the air and looked around again. "51st century?"

"Indeed it is!" The Doctor replied, beaming at her. "You're getting quite good."

"Why, thank you," she murmured, flashing him her tongue-in-teeth smile.

"So, by now, you've got holovids, direct-to-brain downloads, fiction mist. But you need the smell. The smell of books, Rose."

They walked through an archway and onto a balcony. Shelves covered in books surrounded them, as well as stacks of them on the floor.

Peering over the railing, Rose asked, "How big is this place? How far does it go?"

"It's the whole planet."

"Come off it." She hit him lightly on the arm.

"Really. The core of the planet is the index computer- the biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red book…" Rose laughed, and he flashed her a smile before continuing. "Brand new editions, specially printed. We're near the equator, so…" He licked his finger and held it out in the air, testing the wind direction. "This must be biographies! I love biographies."

"I know you do, love. Remember when you spent 3 months refusing to read anything but?" Rose sighed. "That was awful. I tried to read 'The Hobbit' and you snatched it out of my hands, saying that classics are great but learning about the writers is better."

"Did I?" The Doctor asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I don't recall…"

He trailed off as he watched Rose pick up a book and start flipping through. She would look at a page for a few seconds before turning to the next one. He watched in awe for a couple of minutes before she closed the book and set it down.

"Hm. That was alright," she commented, picking up another.

"Did you just read that whole book?" He asked, shocked. He could read books within minutes, but she should still be adjusting to having Time Lord abilities.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just… You're becoming so… Time Lord. So quickly."

"Well, that's alright, right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is." He replied with a grin.

"Hey Doctor?" Rose prodded him, and he turned to face her.

"Hmm?"

"If Time Lords are superior to humans, do they have better sex?"

The Doctor felt his face get hot, and Rose laughed heartily as she saw his cheeks turn beet red.

"I thought I'd already answered that for you," he replied cheekily. She slapped him on the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being so daft."

"What'd I do this time?" He held his arms out as if to say, _I didn't do anything!_

"If we're in the biggest library in the universe," Rose began, "then where is everybody?"

The Doctor just stared at her for a moment, before it clicked. "Oh… Oh!"

He took out his sonic screwdriver and ran to an information kiosk, scanning it quickly to turn it on. He punched in a few keys before motioning to Rose to come over.

"Look, Rose. If I do a scan for your basic humanoids- you know, your book readers, few limbs, and a face –apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo. Nada. See?" He said, pointing at the screen. "But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life," he punched in a few more keys. "A million million. It gives up after that. A million million."

"Then who's here besides us?" Rose asked thoughtfully. She looked around at the piles of books. "It's not the books, is it? It can't be the books, books can't be alive… Right?"

They looked at each other suspiciously before they both reached a hand out toward a book. Their fingers were centimeters away when a voice broke through the silence.

"Welcome!"

They jumped, startled from the sudden sound. Trying to calm down, (as the pregnancy was making her extra jumpy), Rose rested her forehead on the Doctor's chest, and he kissed the top of her head.

"We should probably go see what that was," he said softly.

"Right. Yeah, let's go." She grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly as they made their way to the voice.

They came up to a statue, pausing as the top turned towards them. Upon seeing a face plastered to it, Rose turned to the Doctor, shocked.

"Is that a real face?"

"Yes. But it's very common and-"

"How does it have a real face?" She asked, peering up at the statue to get a closer look.

"It's… Never mind, let the node talk," he said, nodding at it.

"I am Courtesy Node 710/Aqua," the statue began. "Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers, regardless of species or hygiene taboo."

"It's a statue… With a real face… That talks." Rose looked at it in wonder, smiling widely. "It's brilliant!"

The Doctor beamed at her. His wife never ceased to surprise him.

"Additional. There follows a brief message from the Head Librarian for urgent attention," the Node continued. "It has been edited for tone and content by the Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. 'Run. For God's sake, run. Nowhere is safe. The Library has sealed itself. We can't- oh, they're here. Argh, slarg, snick.' Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm. units for the comfort of other readers."

"So that's why we're here…" The Doctor thought aloud.

"Any other messages, from the same day?" Rose asked.

"One additional message. This message carries a Felman Lux Coherency Warning of 5-0-11-"

"Yeah, yeah. Fine, fine, fine, just play it." The Doctor snapped at the machine.

"Message follows. 'Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember- if you want to live, count the shadows.' Message ends."

The Doctor turned and look around the spacious, empty hall. Light flowed in from the skylights, but there were still large areas touched only by darkness.

"Rose…" He wrapped his arm around her waist protectively.

"Yeah?" He could hear a trace of fear in her voice, but she kept it well hidden.

"Stay with me. And stay out of the shadows."

"Why?" Rose glanced up at him. "Doctor… What's in the shadows?"

The Doctor didn't reply, instead, he pulled her towards the TARDIS. Opening the blue door, he ushered her inside.

"Rose, you need to stay in the TARDIS for this one."

"No." She tried to push past him, to get out of their ship.

"Rose, please." He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her pleadingly. "I don't know if this is safe for you. I worry about you as it is, but now with the baby…" He trailed off.

Rose stroked his cheek tenderly. "I know that I can be jeopardy-friendly sometimes, but I'll stay super safe, I promise. Besides, you haven't let me go on any _real _adventures since I told you I was pregnant, and I'm not even very far along!"

"Rose…"

"It'll be fine. Promise." Rose laughed and kissed him on the cheek as he finally let her out. He sighed inwardly as he led her to a large pair of doors at the end of the hall.

Rose, excited to be allowed to come, shoved the doors open and walked inside, gazing in wonder at the books surrounding. There were at least three different levels in the room, accommodating the huge shelves.

"So, I take it were not just passing through?" Rose asked, breaking the silence.

"No… I got a message on the psychic paper," he said, holding it up for Rose to see. The psychic paper read, 'The Library. Come as soon as you can. x'

"What do you think, cry for help?"

"Cry for help." Rose agreed. "Wait, let me see that." She snatched the paper from him, and reread the message. Her jaw clenched.

"What?"

"They signed it with a kiss. A kiss! Whoever sent this is going to get a serious talking-to from me, after we're done saving their arse!" The Doctor could tell that Rose was ticked. "Who sent it, anyway?"

"No idea."

"So why did we come here? Because I'm sure-"

"Rose." He grabbed her and turned her around. One by one, the lights behind them were going out.

"Run?"

"Run." He agreed.

At the sharing of their sacred word, they were off, sprinting from the approaching darkness. Rose stopped seconds before she slammed into a wooden door. The Doctor wasn't so lucky. He ran straight into it. Backing away, he rubbed his head.

"Ow…"

"Doctor, it won't open!" Rose shrieked, tugging on the handles.

"Jammed! The wood's warped!" He announced.

"Sonic it!"

"It doesn't do wood!" He exclaimed, still scanning the door.

"Well, we'll have to fix that!"

"Hang on, hang on. If I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings, I can shatter the interface…" He was trying desperately to open the door.

"Move!" Rose shoved him out of the way before she kicked open the door.

They rushed inside, quickly closing the doors behind them. Breathing heavily, Rose grabbed a large book and shoved it between the door handles.

"That was too close," Rose muttered. The Doctor turned towards her, his face expressionless. He looked into her eyes before engulfing her in a tight hug.

"Woah, Doctor. Need to breath," Rose squeaked out, and he let her go. He planted a firm kiss on her lips before turning around to scan the room they had ended up in.

"Rose, look!" She followed his gaze to a metal sphere floating in the air.

"Oh, hi. Sorry to burst in on you, mind if we hang here for a bit?" Rose spoke gently to what she recognized as a security camera. Without a response, it dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

"Switched itself off," the Doctor commented as he crouched down to get a better look. "Nice door skills, by the way."

"Yeah, well. After Jimmy I thought I had best be prepared for any situation." The Doctor's jaw clenched at the mention of his name.

"Rose, I thought we agreed not to mention him."

"Doctor, maybe you can pretend that I'm perfect, and pure, and innocent, but I can't. Because I have been through some serious shit- maybe not as much as you –but it made me who I am. So you can forget all you want- lock it away in a little room in your mind, whatever. God knows, I'd like to forget everything that happened, but I can't and I won't, because I know that if one little thing in my past were to change, I might not have met you. And the thought of not being with you… That breaks me more than Jimmy ever could."

The Doctor stared at his wife, awestruck. She stood in front of him, hands fixed on her hips, staring right back at him. He gave in.

"Okay."

With that, he took out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the security camera. Rose looked around at their surroundings.

"Look, Doctor. There's a little shop! We love a little shop, don't we?"

"Mm."

She sighed, leaning over his shoulder to see what he was doing. No sooner had she set her sights on the camera than a message began to roll across its screen:

_No, stop it! No! No!_

The Doctor flicked off his sonic and set the camera gently on the ground, apologizing profusely.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm so sorry." He turned to Rose. "It's alive."

"I thought it was just a security camera though."

"It is. It's an alive one." As he said this, another message rolled across the screen.

_Others are coming._

"Others?" Rose murmured, walking up to a nearby node. "Excuse me. What's it mean, 'others?'"

"Rose, that's barely more than a Speak-Your-Weight machine. It can't help you."

"It's got a face, Doctor," she argued. "I'm sure it can tell me something."

"It has been actualized individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy," the node said.

"It chose me a face it thought I'd like," Rose mused. Realizing the Doctor's words about its unhelpfulness were true, she began to back away.

"No, wait!" The Doctor practically yelled, pulling her into his grasp.

"What?"

"The shadow. Look." Rose turned and looked at the shadow, just inches behind her.

"'Count the shadows,'" the Doctor repeated the Node's earlier words.

"One. One shadow."

"Yeah… But Rose, what's casting it?" Looking around, she gasped.

"Oh my God."

"Oh, I'm thick!" The Doctor shouted. "Look at me; I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff, I need a bigger head!" He smacked himself in the head as the lights began to dim.

"Power can't possibly be going," Rose commented. "Place like this must run on what? Fission cells?"

"Yeah. It'll outburn the sun."

"Then why's it getting dark?"

"Rose, I'm sorry. It's not dark."

Suddenly, the shadow that Rose had been watching intently vanished. She reached for the Doctor's arm.

"Husband?"

"Mm?"

"The shadow's gone."

He looked towards where it had been moments before. A look of worry briefly washed over his face, but he spoke to Rose calmly.

"We need to get back to the TARDIS. Now."

"Why?"

"Because that shadow hasn't gone- it's moved."

Rose looked up at her husband's face, not bothering to mask the fear on hers. The Doctor never ran away. Never. So she really wasn't looking forward to meeting whatever frightened her husband so much that even he wouldn't face it.

The Node broke the silence, "Reminder: The Library has been breached. Others are coming."

Seconds after the Node finished speaking, there was a loud bang, and a flash of bright light as a pair of doors were blown open. Once the smoke cleared, six figures in white stepped into the room.

One stepped forward, directly in front of the Doctor and Rose. The figure reached to a switch on their helmet, and the dark visor lightened, revealing a smiling woman with curly hair. The Doctor thought of the woman he had seen in his mind weeks earlier, and Rose felt nauseous, though she couldn't say why.

"Hello, sweetie."

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**And... The two part chapters are over! Hello, River Song! Hope you enjoyed, don't forget to drop a review!**

**-Edith ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey loves! Sorry it's been so long, things have been crazy busy! My classes started again last week, before that it was finishing summer assignments, before that... I was camping! So I'm sorry I've been so busy and haven't updated, but guess what! Extra long chapter to make up for it! Also: I will probably be updating more around once a week now. Sorry :(**

**Also: Check out my new story, _Sleeping to Dream, _which is a (kind of) AU story where Rose is severely depressed and has voices in her head and stuff. So you should all check it out!**

**And on to the story...**

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_"Hello, sweetie."_

The Doctor glared at the woman before him, his arm wrapped protectively around Rose's waist.

"Get out."

"Doctor…" Rose spoke gently.

"All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you." The Doctor gave her a look of warning, his eyes flashing.

The curly haired woman only smiled and took off her helmet. She shook out her hair and announced, "Pop your helmets, everyone. We got breathers."

Another woman stepped up and looked at her, unwilling to take in the evidence. "How do you know they're not androids?" She asked suspiciously.

"'Cause I've dated androids," the woman smiled cheekily. "They're rubbish."

A stout man stepped forward, wearing a very unpleasant expression. "Who is this?" He demanded of the woman. "I thought we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."

"I lied. I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts," the stout man snapped at a young brunette.

She turned back to the Doctor and fixed a hand on her hip. She stood there casually, taking in the sight of him and Rose.

"You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"

"Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave… Hang on. Did you say, 'expedition'?"

"_My _expedition. I funded it," the angry man spat. The Doctor and Rose shared an annoyed glance.

"Oh, you're not, are you?" The Doctor sighed. "Tell me you're not archeologists."

A look of displeasure crossed the woman in question's face, but she quickly hid it. "Got a problem with archeologists?"

"We're time travelers," the Doctor motioned to himself and Rose. "We point and _laugh _at archeologists."

"Ah." She smiled kindly and held her hand out to shake. "Professor River Song; archeologist."

Rose took her hand and shook it quickly. "I'm Rose and this is the Doctor." River's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, the Doctor took her hand to shake.

"River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving _now, _you need to send up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever!"

Rose looked over everyone standing in the room as the Doctor spoke. She glanced over to a woman slowly edging away from the group and towards the shadows.

"Stop right there!" Rose shouted and pointed at the dark skinned woman. Rose ran over to her and pulled her into the large circle of light the main group was standing in.

"What's your name?" She held the woman by the shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Anita."

"Anita, stay outta the shadows. Don't even go anywhere near the shadows 'til you're safe in your ship. All of you, stay in the light."

"Find a nice bright spot and just stand," added the Doctor. "If you understand, look very scared."

He looked around at all their faces, hoping to see at least small traces of fear. They only looked bemused.

"No… A bit more scared than that," Rose murmured. Approaching the door through which the archeologists came, Rose motioned to a figure to join her at the door.

"And what do they call you?" Rose asked.

"Uh, Dave."

"Alright, now Dave-"

"Well, Other Dave, because, uh… That's Proper Dave," he said, pointing to another man in the group. "He's the pilot. He was the first Dave, so when-"

"Alright!" Rose snapped. "Other Dave, the way you came, does it look any different from before?"

Other Dave peered down the hall. "No… Oh, it's a bit darker."

"How much darker?"

"Well," he began, looking down the corridor again, "I could see where we came through just a moment ago. I can't now."

The Doctor pointed in Rose's direction. "Seal up that door. We'll find another way out."

Rose nodded quickly at Other Dave before making her way back to her husband. She was positioning her hand around his waist when the stout man spoke up again.

"We're not looking for a way out." He snapped his fingers at the brunette. "Miss Evangelista?"

The young woman sheepishly approached the Doctor and Rose. Holding two papers in front of them, she said, "I'm Mr. Lux's personal… everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experiences inside The Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

"Right, give it here." The Doctor grabbed a contract.  
"Yeah." Rose took the other contract.

The Doctor ripped his in half as Rose set hers down politely on a nearby table. The Doctor shot her an annoyed glance, and she replied with a shrug. "Why waste paper? Trees are important."

"My family built this library!" The man they assumed was Mr. Lux snapped, his face red with anger. "I have rights!"

"You have a mouth that won't stop," River snapped back. She turned towards the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?"

"Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be." The Doctor finished with a grave look on his face.

"That was one hundred years ago," River argued. "The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here is long dead."

"One thing I've learned from the Doctor is to never be sure of anything, because as soon as you're one hundred percent positive about something, it turns out your wrong." Rose stated calmly. Everyone looked at her somberly. "Sorry… S'pose that sounded a bit dark..."

"Just a bit," the Doctor murmured quietly to her.

"Anyways," Rose continued, smiling brightly. "Names, I want to know all of your names."

Everyone in turn announced their name, and Rose nodded at them all. "Right, well, anyways…"

Rose trailed off. She didn't really know what to do in the situation. Normally she would be on top of everything, almost completely knowing what the Doctor would do. Now though, she was at a loss.

A whirring sound was heard from the back of the room, and Mr. Lux turned towards it, asking Other Dave sharply, "What are you doing?"

"He said to seal the door," he replied, nodding at the Doctor.

"Torch!" The Doctor exclaimed loudly, grabbing the light source from Mr. Lux's hands and flipping it on.

"You're taking orders from him?" Mr. Lux asked, ignorant to the fact that he was facing a genius. Rose giggled softly.

"Spooky isn't it?" The Doctor cheekily replied, shining the torch into the shadows. Rose moved next to him, peering into the dark in a futile attempt to see what he was looking at. "Almost every species has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong, 'cause it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"Doctor, please tell that's not what I think I'm thinking, 'cause…" Rose trailed off again, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and fear. She had never come across the Vashta Nerada, but she vaguely remembered reading something about them in the TARDIS's vast library.

"You know of them?" He turned to her, confused. "Did I tell you about them?"

"No, I… I read about them," she answered sheepishly. Ever since finding out that she was Gallifreyan, she had tried to do a bit of studying when the Doctor was busy. She had wanted to learn everything he knew, to understand everything he said, and not just nod like it wasn't completely going over her head. It was also meant to be a bit of a surprise, though. She hadn't wanted to tell him.

"Alright, care to enlighten us on what the Vashta Nerada are?" Anita asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark," the Doctor said gravely. "Lights! That's what we need, lights!" He tossed the torch back to Mr. Lux, who barely caught it with a flustered look on his face. "You got lights?"

"Make a big, safe area," Rose added helpfully. "Let's brighten this place up a bit."

River nodded at the rest of the group, who were all standing as though they were still awaiting orders. "Oi, do as he says."

The Doctor took his coat and threw it onto a nearby desk as Mr. Lux spoke up. "You're not listening to this man?" He asked incredulously.

"Apparently, I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door is secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor." As she spoke, everyone did as she said, although Mr. Lux complied with a confused look on his face. It was clear to the Doctor and Rose that she was a powerful woman, and even if she wasn't _officially_ in charge of the expedition, she was still in charge. "Proper Dave, find an archive terminal. I want you to access The Library database, see what you can find out about what happened a hundred years ago. Pretty Boy and Spring Flower, you're with me. Step into my office."

"Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?" Mr. Lux asked slowly. River grinned.

"I don't fancy you." With that, she skipped off to the desk she was claiming was her 'office'.

The Doctor put his hand on Rose's shoulder, and she turned to look at him. His eyes were dark and sad, and she could tell that he was upset with himself for putting her and the baby in a dangerous situation. Her hand subconsciously went to her stomach, and his eyes flitted downwards towards the movement. She glanced down and realized that she was only making him feel worse. She reached up and tilted his chin up.

"Hey." She looked at him with a soft expression, before engulfing him in a hug. He melted into her arms, and for a moment, it was just them seeking comfort in each other's company.

"Pretty boy, Spring Flower, with me I said!" River's commanding yet casual voice broke their silence. They pulled out of their hug slowly and unwillingly.

"Spring flower? Oh, I guess she's talking to us," Rose said quietly. She took the Doctor's hand as they walked towards River. Passing Anita and Other Dave, the Doctor said, "Don't let your shadows cross! Seriously, don't even let them touch! Any of them could be infected."

"How could a shadow be infected?" Other Dave mused.

After approaching River, who was unpacking, Rose was vaguely aware of the Doctor clearing his throat and thanks being said. She wasn't focusing on their conversation, instead, on a conversation going on behind her.

"Excuse me, can I help?" Miss Evangelista's voice.

"No, we're fine." Anita.

"I could, you know, just hold things." Evangelista again.

"No, really. We're okay." Other Dave now.

Rose had a fairly good idea what was going on. She turned around swiftly to face the group she heard talking, but stayed rooted next to the Doctor. "Can she really not help?" Rose barked at Anita and Other Dave.

From the flustered looks on their faces and the way they were struggling for words, Rose realized with satisfaction that she had caught them off guard. She had only shown them her sweet side, she wasn't afraid to show them the bitchy side.

"I think she can," Rose continued. "Unless you have a good reason why she can't?"

Anita and Dave shared a slightly scared look. "Trust me," Other Dave began quietly, in a futile attempt to let only Rose hear. "I just spent four days on a ship with her. She's…"

"Couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod and the bathroom. We had to go back for her. Twice." Anita added with a snicker.

"Don't judge people by their intelligence." Rose snapped angrily. Now she was pissed. The one thing she could not stand was when people thought they were better than others because of their test scores. "Smarts don't define a person, their heart does. I think Miss Evangelista can help you just fine. And I think you owe her an apology."

They nodded sheepishly at her before she turned back around to face the Doctor and River. To her surprise, they had stopped talking and were simply staring at her with amused expressions.

"What?" Rose asked, oblivious to their thoughts.

"You put them in place." River smiled happily. "I like you."

"Uh, thanks." Rose replied slowly, but with a small smile. "I think I like you too."

The Doctor wrapped his arm around her waist as she leaned against a desk.

"Except," Rose continued, "you calling my husband 'pretty boy'."

"What?!" River's face turned to one of shock.

"I know, he is pretty," she turned to look at the Doctor, who was smiling at her. "But he's mine."

"He's your husband?" River asked, shock still apparent on her face. She turned to the Doctor. "Rose is your wife?"

The Doctor looked at her, confused. "Yes. Why?"

"Rose Tyler?"

"How do you know my name?" Rose began to panic. She had only told them her first name, she never told anyone her last name.

"The Bad Wolf?" River knew that if she was the Bad Wolf, things were about to get really bad, really fast.

"How could you _possibly _know that?" The Doctor said darkly, it was more of a statement than a question.

River's hand flew to her mouth. That answered _that _question. "No, no, no. You can't be, you can't be married."

"Why not? We have been for three years." Rose's fear was still there, but now she was angry as well. Not a good combo for anyone standing in her way.

"Oh, Rassilon."

"What? What is wrong with us being married? You don't even know us." The Doctor spat. River had made his wife angry and afraid, and that made him very dangerous.

"No. I don't know Rose. But I know of her. And I know you. So well." River looked at them both sadly, and they could see many years of pain and sorrow.

"How? Who am I to you?"

River turned to look at Rose apologetically before leaning in and whispering in the Doctor's ear. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened.

"No… No. There is only one person I would ever tell that to, and that is my wife. And if you haven't noticed, Rose is my wife."

"But she _can't be._" River argued. She ran a hand through her curly hair.

"Why. Not?"

"How old are you?"

"How old am-"

"Just answer the question," River said calmly, trying to keep control of her emotions. Rose looked questionably at the Doctor, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"I'm nine hundred and nine years old." River sighed sadly at this.

"What does this have to do with why the Doctor and I can't be married?" Rose asked, hiding her own anger and fear. River looked at her gravely.

"Four years ago."

The Doctor ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Damned woman wouldn't tell him anything. As soon as he figured out what was wrong, he could assess the situation properly and fix it.

"What? What happened four years ago?" He snapped. River sighed again, looking down at the floor as if the world was on her shoulders.

"Four years ago," she continued, turning her gaze to Rose, "you were supposed to die."

The Doctor stared slack-jawed at River. For once, he didn't know what to say. He had no witty remark, no threat of the Oncoming Storm, not a peep. He couldn't move, he was frozen, staring at her.

Rose tensed in his arms, and she too, froze momentarily. Slowly, she looked up at her husband, who still seemed to be in shock, if that was the right word. She turned to River.

"What do you… How was… How was I supposed to…" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I can show you." River took a step closer to her, and she immediately recoiled.

"How?"

"Time Lords have a trick, where with physical contact, they can show or receive thoughts… In a way." River hastily explained.

"Okay."

River looked surprised, clearly not having expected Rose to agree so quickly. She raised her hands slowly and held them a few centimeters from Rose's head. Rose nodded quickly, giving her the permission she sought. She placed her fingers gingerly on her temple, entering her mind.

Images flashed through Rose's mind: the Daleks, the Cybermen, her mum and… her dad. The Doctor and 3-D glasses, fire, and destruction, and death. So much death. A lever. Slipping, she saw herself slip from the lever, being pulled towards darkness. The Doctor screaming, and her father appearing and catching her, then she disappeared. The Doctor. Slowly standing and walking to the now whole wall, pressing his hand against it, his face solemn.

A wave of pain and sadness suddenly washed over Rose, and she assumed that that was how the Doctor felt in that moment. It was agony. Pure, raw agony.

She opened her eyes to feel the Doctor's arms around her. He was holding her, rocking her gently, singing soothingly in Gallifreyan whilst running a hand over her hair occasionally. She blinked and realized she had been crying, she hiccupped and a sob came out. The Doctor held her tighter against his chest as she continued to cry.

He snapped his gaze up to River, his eyes full of anger. The Oncoming Storm was approaching rapidly.

"Why would you do that?" He kept his voice low so that he wouldn't upset Rose more, but his tone was full of fury.

"She gave me permission." River countered.

"You assaulted her mind. And you probably scarred her for life. She's pregnant. Not only could that have hurt her, it could hurt the baby."

River's hand flew to her mouth once again. "No. Humans and Time Lords aren't compatible."

"I know."

"So you became-"

"No. She became Time Lord." He looked down at her, a small smile playing at his lips despite his anger. River looked into his eyes, which were now filled with wonder upon looking at Rose.

"Oh, God."

"Don't." The Doctor looked back up at River, rage filling his eyes again. "Don't even say anything to degrade my wife, my child, or my love for either of them."

River looked at him sadly, not knowing how to react to the situation. She turned away and began pacing in the small space she had.

"I saw myself die."

"What?" The Doctor looked back to Rose. "Oh, my love. No you didn't. I wouldn't let that happen."

She looked into his eyes, losing herself momentarily in their swirly chocolate depths.

"But it happened." She looked away. "Or was supposed to happen. Either way, we lost each other. I got trapped… In a parallel world, where…where my dad is alive."

The Doctor looked at her sadly. "Oh, Rose…"

"I wouldn't be able to." Rose murmured softly.

"Be able to what?"

"Live without you." She looked back up into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, hoping to show that it was the same for him.

* * *

**Hope you guys liked the chapter! I would love it if you all could be sweeties and drop a review! Thoughts, comments, questions, predictions!**

**Also, so you guys know from my profile I do a lot of acting... Well, I had an audition today for ****_As You Like It _****by William Shakespeare, cross your fingers I get a good part? Thanks loves :)**

**BIG THANKS TO CHARLIE :D**

**Don't forget to check out _Sleeping to Dream, _if you like this story, you'll probably like that one, too!**

**-Edith :)**


	6. QUICK NOTE (NO CHAPTER YET)

**QUICK NOTE! NOT A CHAPTER! (NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON THOUGH)**

Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long, I have been INCREDIBLY busy with school and rehearsals. I PROMISE _PROMISE __**PROMISE**_I will try my very best to get the next chapter up by this Sunday. I have been an awful person for not updating. So, forgive me? I also promise I will never EVER take even _close to_ this long to update again! Sorry guys!

Also, please don't hunt me down and kill me for not updating. Sorry loves. It will be up soon.

Yours,

Edith ;*


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